NASA Delays Artemis Moon Missions
NASA's Artemis lunar program, aimed at landing astronauts on the moon for the first time since 1972, has been pushed to at least mid-2027 from the originally scheduled 2026 due to technical probes and improvements....
Facts
- NASA's Artemis lunar program, aimed at landing astronauts on the moon for the first time since 1972, has been pushed to at least mid-2027 from the originally scheduled 2026 due to technical probes and improvements.[1][2]
- NASA head Bill Nelson said on Thursday that the Artemis II mission to first send four astronauts around the moon has also slipped from next September to April 2026 to address issues with the agency's next-gen Orion space capsule.[3][4]
- Nelson emphasized mission safety, saying 'we do not fly until we are confident' that the Orion capsule can securely transport astronauts to deep space and back. 'Space is demanding' and 'we need to do it right,” he said.[5][6]
- The delay follows revelations from a successful 2022 uncrewed test mission that the capsule's heat shield, critical to protecting astronauts on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, was damaged.[7][8]
- Despite the delays, Nelson claimed that even Artemis III's mid-2027 target 'will be well ahead of the Chinese government's announced intention' of landing taikonauts on the moon by 2030.[9][10]
- This comes as Donald Trump, under whose first administration it was launched, prepares to return to the White House in January 2025. He has named billionaire Jared Isaacman as Nelson's replacement.[7][9]
Sources: [1]CNN, [2]Associated Press, [3]Reuters, [4]NBC, [5]Space.com, [6]Washington Post, [7]New York Times, [8]NPR Online News, [9]Guardian and [10]BBC News.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by TechCrunch and Guardian. The delays are necessary and responsible given the unprecedented technical challenges and safety considerations involved in returning humans to the moon, especially with new spacecraft and technologies that require thorough testing and validation.
- Narrative B, as provided by Daily Mail. The extended timeline reflects NASA's diminished resources compared to the Apollo era, with significantly fewer personnel and a smaller budget hampering the agency's ability to maintain ambitious schedules while ensuring mission success.
